Method for applying pattern to candles

ABSTRACT

Ornamented wax candles made by submerging the candles successively in a bath containing a liquid promoting the adherence of an ornamental transfer layer thereto, rotating each candle to roll its side wall against an ornamental transfer layer carried on one face of a transfer web while pressing a heated platen against the opposite face of the web to effect a transfer of the ornamental transfer layer, and applying a protective coating over the transfer layer.

United States Patent 1m Solomon 1 1 Aug. 26, 1975 [54] METHOD FOR APPLYING PATTERN T0 2,84L972 7/1958 Weglin Bl/I26 X CANDLES 3,411,856 11/1968 Crumrinc 431/126 3.432.325 3/1969 Baba 1 1 r r 4 117/12 [76] Inventor: Arieh Solomon, 38 Hushursheret St., 3,702,228 11/1972 Falck-Muusu. H 117/12 X Afeka Tel Aviv. lsracl 1839.1 19 111/1974 Solomon 156/234 [22] Filed: July 8, 1974 Primary E.raminerMichael R. Lusignan [21 1 App! 4864541 Attorney, Agent, or FirmBr0wdy and Neimark Related U.S. Application Data [62] l)ivisi0n of Ser, No. 261L337 June 9 1972. Pat, No. ABSTRACT ornamented wax candles made by submerging the 1 428/400; 156/234? 156/241? candles successively in a bath containing a liquid pro 427/275; 428/542 moting the adherence of an ornamental transfer layer [51] Int. Cl.- 844C 1/24 therem Mating each Candle to to" its Side Wu l l new of Search 117/12 94; against an ornamental transfer layer carried on one 156/234 241; 431/126; 427/275, 322. face of a transfer web while pressing a heated platen 428/400, 54 against the opposite face of the web to effect a transfer of the ornamental transfer layer, and applying a l l References protective coating over the transfer layer.

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Z,h36 371l 4/1951 Kramer H 431/126 4 5 Drawmg figures D g m N 0 l l l l r T *Z- J (a l:

l l O I l l k Pmmmmczsms sum 1 or 2 M ETHOD FOR APPLYING PATTERN TO CANDLES This is a division of application Ser. No. 261,337, filed June 9, I972, now US. Pat. No. 3,839,119, patented Oct. 1, 1974.

This invention relates to ornamented cordles made by applying a preferably multi-colored pattern to the candles.

The known technique of heabtransfer printing has hitherto been used in applying such patterns to bottles, jars, vials, tubes and the like, made of, e.g. glass or plas tics. All these articles are characterized by their relative resistance to heat deformation below a certain temperature. In the known process the pattern is transferred to the article cg. from a paper web coated with a special release coating, on which the pattern has previously been printed.

The heat-transfer process may be carried out automatically by known apparatus, in which the web, drawn off from a supply roll, is preheated and applied by pressure to the article to be printed, while the latter is translationally and/or rotationally displaced in relation to the web. In the known automatic apparatus these motions are imparted to the article by a so-called turret, which consists of a rotatable disc provided with a plurality of recesses along its periphery. These recesses are of such shape and dimension as to accommodate the particular articles which are to be printed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide ornamented cordles made by a method for applying a preferably multi-coloured pattern to candles by heat transfer printing.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of ornamenting wax candles in which the candles are first submerged successively in a bath containing a liquid promoting the adherence of an ornamental transfer layer. The candles are then successively advanced to an ornamenting station, while a web carrying a succession of ornamental transfer layers on one face is also advanced to the ornamenting station. In the latter station each candle is rotated to roll its side wall along and in direct contact with an ornamental transfer layer carried on one face of the web, while a heated platen is pressed against the opposite face of the web to effect a transfer of the ornamental layer to each candle. Each candle so ornamented is then coated, preferably with wax.

Preferably the lower end portion of each candle is fitted to a rigid adapter or holder each such adapter being gripped and rotated by a turret of an automatic heat transfer printing apparatus.

The use of the adapter according to the invention avoids any damage which the candle would suffer, were it to be submitted without the adapter to automatic heat-transfer printing. Such damage would arise. ie from the candle being pushed against the edges of the recess of the turret housing the candle under the pres sure of the preheated transfer web.

The adapter may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, a plastics material.

In order to ensure that the candle is rotated together with the adapter while the latter is gripped, the candle must be firmly lodged in its adapter. To this end the inner dimensions of the hollow recess of the adapter may be chosen so as to closely match the cross section of the candle. The adapter may be removed from the candle after the transfer printing and reused with a fresh candle. Alternatively and preferably the adapter may be left on the candle and serves as a candle holder.

In the latter case, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the bottom end of the candle may be provided with a polygonal tongue, adapted to fit into a correspondingly shaped recess provided in the bottom of the hollow recess of the adapter.

The invention will be described by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a longitudinally sectioned view of a candle adapter,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the adapter,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a candle and an adapter together with a transparent sleeve and end covers,

FIG. 4 shows schematically the heat transfer printing method in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of apparatus for carryingn out of one stage of the method shown in FIG. 4.

As seen in FIG. 1, an adapter 1 comprises an upper portion Ia and an integral lower portion lb of increased diameter compared to the upper portion la. The upper portion la is provided with a pair of transverse ribs 2 defining between them a recess 3. Similarly the lower portion lb is provided with a pair of ribs 4 defining between thcm a recess 5.

A candle 6 has lower portion 621 formed as a rectangular tongue which, as shown in FIG. 3, fits into the recess 3.

As seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings candles 4 pass through a bath 7 in which they are coated with a coat ing promoting the adherence of a transfer layer (e.g. a pentaerythritol ester of hydrogenated resin) after which the coated candles 6 are allowed to dry. They are then fitted with their tongue-like ends 6a into the adapters l and are fed on a conveyor belt 8 past a heat transfer web 9 so as to receive the transfer. The ornamented candle is then passed through a bath 10 containing a protective material such as molten paraffin wax and the coated candle is allowed to dry.

As seen in greater detail in FIG. 5 of the drawings the candles 6 in their adapters l are fed on the belt 8 to a turret I I of an automatic heat transfer printing apparatus 12 of known kind. The turret l] which is rotatably mounted is provided with a plurality of recesses 13 each of which is adapted to grip an adapter 1 and to rotate it past the heat transfer web 9 which passes via intermediate guide rollers I4 and a heating platen I5 from a supply roll 16 to a take-off roll 17. The web 9 is passed against each candle 6 by a rubber transfer rol ler I8.

The operation of the apparatus is conventional and is therefore not described in detail. Suffice it to say that at no time is a candle gripped or otherwise contacted by the turret and is not damaged thereby.

The finished ornamented candle 6 in its adapter 1 can be packaged. as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, eg by being enclosed in a transparent sleeve I9, an upper cover cap 20 and a lower one (not shown] being provided at the upper and lower ends of the sleeves 19.

In this manner the adapter I, in addition to serving in its essential protective role during the heat transfer also serves as a candle holder.

Where, as in the case just described. the adapter is formed oftwo portions of different diameters both portions can be adapted to receive alternately candles of differing diameters.

I claim:

1. An ornamented candle comprising a candle having affixed thereto an ornamental pattern made by the steps of:

coating the candles successively with a liquid promoting the adherence of an ornamental transfer pattern thereto; advancing the candles successively to an omamenting station; advancing to the ornamenting station a transfer web carrying on one face thereof ornamental heat transfer means; rotating each candle in the omamenting station to roll its slide along and in direct contact with ornamental heat transfer pattern carried on the one face of the web; pressing a heated platen against the opposite wherein said protective coating is paraffin wax. 

1. AN ORNAMENTED CANDLE COMPRISING A CANDLE HAVING AFFIXED AN ORNAMANETAL PATTERN MADE BY THE STEPS OF: COATING THE CANDLE SUCCESSIVELY WITH A LIQUID PORMOTING THE ADHERENCE OF AN ORNAMENTAL TRANSFER PATTERN THERETO, ADVANCING THE CANDLE SUCCESSIVELY TO AN ORNAMENTING STATION, ADVANCING TO THE ORNAMENTING STATION OF TRANSFER WEB CARRYING ON ONE FACE THEREOF ORNAMENTAL HEAT TRANSFER MEANS, ROTATING EACH CANDLE IN THE ORNAMENTING STA-
 2. An ornamented candle according to claim 1 wherein said liquid contains pentaery thritol ester of hydrogenated resin.
 3. An ornamented candle according to claim 2 wherein said protective coating is paraffin wax.
 4. An ornamented candle according to claim 1 wherein said protective coating is paraffin wax. 